Rangers vs. Athletics Pick
Are the Texas Rangers or the host Oakland Athletics the right play in Sunday’s 4:05PM EST series finale?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Rangers are a slight -115 favorite to win on the moneyline. The Athletics are a -105 underdog, while the over-under is 9.5.
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A.J. Griffin (6-4, 5.10 ERA) gets the start for the Rangers, while the Athletics will go with Jharel Cotton (6-10, 5.62). Griffin has a 1.27 WHIP with 49 strikeouts in 60 innings. He has a road ERA of 4.75 in eight starts. Cotton carries a 1.47 WHIP with 82 strikeouts in 104 innings. His home ERA is 7.71 in 10 starts.
Texas comes in with a 64-65 record and is 29-36 on the road, while Oakland is 57-72 and 36-31 at home. The Athletics won the first two games of the series including Saturday’s 8-3 victory. Oakland has won five of the last 11 meetings. The total has gone under in six of those games.
Chad Pinder hit two home runs Saturday to help send Oakland to the win. He scored three runs. Jed Lowrie was 2-for-3 with a run and three RBIs plus a walk. Marcus Semien had two hits and a walk for two runs, while Matt Chapman added two hits and a run. Sean Manaea allowed two earned runs in five innings to get the win. Cole Hamels gave up six earned runs in 4 1/3 innings to take the loss. Sin Shoo Choo had two hits and scored two runs, while Adrian Beltre added a hit and three RBIs.
The Rangers have been nediocre on the road this year, but facing Cotton could help cure their woes. He’s been brutal at home, while Griffin has been putting together a sufficient month with a 3.86 ERA over four starts.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: TEXAS RANGERS -115